Common Sense Weekly
Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation's weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.
Pa. House Keeps Budget Committee Meeting Open Until Wee Hours of Morning
In an unusual series of events, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee started a meeting Tuesday night at 8:30 and ended it Wednesday just before 1 a.m. — despite taking no action.
House Appropriations Chair Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia, told members earlier in the day to expect a late meeting in order to vote on budget materials, with Pennsylvania now 10 days into a new fiscal year without a budget in place.
But the meeting was placed at ease immediately after being gaveled in, and members left to confer privately — returning around 12:45 a.m., at which point Harris adjourned the meeting.
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Where Does Gov. Shapiro Stand on Civil Rights?
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro doesn’t merely need to prove his moderate credentials by passing the education freedom policy of Lifeline Scholarships (“Is Josh Shapiro Capable of Leadership?
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” by William McGurn, Main Street, July 2). He needs to prove that he stands with black and brown Pennsylvanians on the civil-rights issue of our time.
As the pastor of a black church and founder of Black Pastors United for Education, I can attest that black families overwhelmingly support education freedom. In Philadelphia, over 90% of black residents want the Lifeline Scholarships that Mr. Shapiro has promised but not yet delivered. The families at my church are a case in point. Many of their kids are trapped in underperforming public schools. Their future could be transformed by Lifeline Scholarships, which would grant them access to other learning opportunities.
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Pa. Travelers’ Guide: Summer Gasoline Prices
Pennsylvania’s June average gasoline price was higher than all its neighbor states except New York.
While Pennsylvania’s gasoline price has decreased from its 2022 record high, the long-term picture shows an average price—up 84 cents a gallon since 2019—constantly above the national average.
The commonwealth has the third-highest
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gasoline tax nationwide at a staggering 57.6 cents per gallon
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(cpg).
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Pennsylvania Senate Makes Smart Moves for Student Success
The state Senate has been busy over the last few weeks working to pass education legislation that could benefit many Pennsylvania students. The bills now move to the House for consideration.
Senate Bill 801
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– Literacy for all Pennsylvanians – is co-sponsored by Senator Anthony Williams, a Democrat from Philadelphia, and Senator Ryan Aument, a Republican from Lancaster County. The bipartisan bill was crafted almost a year ago due to abysmal reading scores
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across the Commonwealth. It calls for the implementation of evidence-based reading instruction in all public schools.
With overwhelming bipartisan support from the Senate, the bill passed 48 to 1 in early June; therefore, it seems likely that it will pass the House. This is potentially great news for thousands of students who are not proficient in reading, and the early identification process mandated in the bill should help prevent struggling readers from falling through the cracks. Teachers will also benefit from ensuring that students learn to read proficiently in elementary school.
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Governor Shapiro is proposing new energy taxes on Pennsylvanians. Tell him to reject these taxes here
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.
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